Drowning
by Sango Tsubasa
Summary: It was a game of cat and mouse. A chase. Zim enjoyed the challenge.  But one day, it all stopped, and Zim found himself wanting, no, NEEDING Dib in his life. And when Dib decided to end it all... well, Zim would NOT have that.  For a contest on dA. ZADR
1. 1: Zim's POV

**Drowning**

**Zim's POV**

Life.

I've spent too much of it on this planet.

Time and time again, I created a _genius_ plan, a plan that would _surely_ bring the end of the filthy humans inhabiting on this worthless, filthy planet.

Only to be foiled by that…

That…

HUMAN.

Dib…

After each failed plan, I tried to approach the problem in a new and creative way, but no matter how hard I tried, how much TIME I put into it, that _filthy_ Dib-worm always managed to thwart my plans!

I smiled to myself at that thought.

It was a game; one big game of cat and mouse.

Zim and Dib.

And one day, I'd get him.

I'd get that mouse.

I enjoyed the chase.

I enjoyed the Dib's challenge.

But one day, the challenge stopped.

When the Dib-thing entered class, I immediately sensed a change in him.

There was something… missing. Something in his eyes, the way he walked, the way he talked.

I knew the chase had stopped.


	2. 2: Dib's POV

**Drowning**

**Dib's POV**

Humanity.

They didn't want me.

Again and again, I foiled that alien scum's plans and saved the world, but no one except I knew it.

No one cared.

It wasn't until I had that dream that I finally understood the fate of the world.

I dreamed that I was an alien, and Zim was human.

All the kids in my class treated me exactly the same; name calling, throwing things at me, ect, and Zim sat there and watched.

Finally, he walked over to me and said, "To them, _you're_ the alien."

And then I woke up.

Dream-Zim was right. To everyone on the entire planet, I was an alien.

I could try and try and try to foil Zim's plans, but in the end, humanity would destroy itself. They would never take me seriously. They would revolt against me. And thus, it would lead to their doom.

Everything I did… was in vein.

I was worthless.

There was nothing else for me to do.

I was done with humanity. Zim had won.

I had no place in this world.

For I was an alien.


	3. 3: Zim's POV

**Drowning**

**Zim's POV**

The Dib-thing was quite all day. No talk of how I was _clearly_ an alien.

No talk of anything.

He just spaced out the entire day.

He didn't even react when I threw a wad of paper at him, trying to provoke some kind of response.

Nothing.

_Perhaps he's just moody today_, I told myself, _He'll be fine tomorrow._

But he wasn't.

Nor the entire week.

When Friday came around, I decided to consult him at lunch. He hadn't been eating lunch all week, just buying it and staring at it, then throwing it away, just as I did (but I'm an alien and don't eat disgusting Earth food).

I got my lunch and took a deep, calming breath (because for some reason, I was nervous). Then I walked right over to his deserted table and sat down next to him. He didn't so much as wince.

After a few awkward moments of silence, I said, "Are not you going to remark on how I am not eating like a FILTHY human?"

"It doesn't matter what I say," he said, "They never listen."

I waited for him to say more, but he didn't.

"What happened to saving Earth?" I asked him.

"Earth doesn't want to be saved," he said, not even looking at me.

"Do you not _want_ to save Earth?" I asked.

"What's the point?" he replied. Then he got up, busted his tray, and left.


	4. 4: Dib's POV

**Drowning**

**Dib's POV**

I've decided three things.

The first is that I'm going to let Zim destroy Earth.

The second is that I'm not going to let Zim destroy _me_.

Which leads me to the third:

I'm going to kill myself.

I won't let allow Zim the satisfaction of destroying Earth AND his greatest enemy. So I'll destroy myself before he can destroy me.

But… I just don't know how to do it yet. Jumping from a building?

No, too cliché.

Slitting my wrists?

No, too emo.

Over dosage?

No, too risky that I'd live.

Shooting myself?

No, I'd never have the guts, even if I _could_ get my hands on a gun.

Hang myself?

Again, I'd never have the guts to go through with it.

Drowning myself?

Well, I always _did_ love the water… especially because it burned Zim. I could fill my pockets with rocks and dive into the lake.

Yeah, that's what I'd do!

Drown.

Drown….

Not that it matter, but I decided to write my family a letter.

At first, I was angry, and wrote how they'd be sorry they hadn't listened to me, and now it was too late. And then I got upset because I wondered if they'd even miss me.

I signed it, "Goodbye. Forever." and left it at that.

I left it on my desk, and left my house without a word to or from anyone.

I decided to take one last walk around the city before I ended everything.

This was goodbye.


	5. 5: Zim's POV

**Drowning**

**Zim's POV**

Someone rang my doorbell. I quickly put on my amazing disguise and answered the door.

It was Dib's little sister.

"Dib's going to kill himself," she told me, "I came to tell you in case you wanted to stop him."

I stared at her.

"What? You are lying to Zim!" I accused her.

"He's going to drown himself in the lake," she replied, acting as though this was the most casual thing in the world.

"Why are _you_ not trying to stop him?" I said to her. She _was_ his sister, after all, and Earth siblings were supposed to be in some sort of close relationship. Right?

She crossed her arms and pouted at me. "_You're_ all he ever talks about," she told me, "and his suicide note was all about you. You're his best friend, right? Go stop him." She seemed serious.

"Best friend? _Me?_ How- What makes you think _I_ can stop him better than you?"

"He's too stupid to listen to me," she replied, "Look, are you going to do something or am I just wasting my time?"

I thought about it.

Dib was my enemy! The only thing in my way of conquering this filthy planet!

But…

Our game….

Our game would be over.

Such an unsatisfying end…

No.

I had to be the one to destroy him!

And…

Something about losing the one person on this entire planet who actually knew who and what I was made me… feel sick?

No… made me _hurt_…

I ran out the door without thinking about what I was doing.

I had to stop him.

When I got close to the lake, I could see him. I felt a strange feeling inside me.

He was stuffing rocks into his already bulging pockets. I saw as he made his way to the dock.

"DIB! NO!" I yelled.

But it was too late.

He had jumped.

As soon as I got there, I jumped in after him, knowing that the water would burn my skin.

I ignored the searing, almost unbearable pain, and opened my eyes, feeling my wig and contacts float off me. Dib's eyes were closed.

I reached out and pulled the jacket off him before grabbing his arm and pulling him back to the surface.


	6. 6: Dib's POV END

**Drowning**

**Dib's POV**

When I came to, I could feel my lungs burning. I sat up and threw up water, coughing and gasping for air. I opened my fuzzy eyes to see that I was on the beach of the lake, and next to me was-

"Zim?"

He was on his knees, coughing and retching, and I could see big white blisters and welts on his green skin.

"Filthy… Dib… worm…" he managed to say.

I looked around. I was alive?

"Did… did you save me?" I asked him.

"Yes, it was I, ZIM!" he gasped in his dramatic voice before coughing some more.

"Why?" I asked, utterly confused. But then it hit me, and I got angry.

"You only saved me so you could kill me yourself, didn't you?" I accused him.

"No, you FOOL!" he cried, startling me, "I _need _you! I need you _alive_!"

"For what?" I shot back, "Some kind of weird alien experimentation?"

"No, you stupid Earth baby!" Zim spat, "I need you to be my reason to be... here…"

An awkward silence followed.

"What… do you mean by that, Zim?" I asked him without realizing how softly I said it.

"We all need a reason to live, Dib," he replied, just using my plain name, "We all need a person to live for. Or else, what is the point of anything?"

I blinked, and then got my thoughts together.

"Well, I don't have anyone like that! That's why I want to die!" I snapped.

He frowned, then said quietly, "I could be your reason. After all, you are Zim's reason."

And then something strange happened.

He walked over to me and pressed his lips to mine. I was so shocked, I couldn't move.

When he pulled away, he said, "I believe that is the appropriate Earth gesture for "I need you in my life." Is it not?"

I couldn't even comprehend what had just happened.

I somehow managed to say, "I thought Invaders needed no one…"

"We thought wrong," he replied.

I came back to my senses enough to slap him for kissing me. He glared back at me, rubbing his cheek, and I began to laugh. I couldn't stop, and my sides began to ache. It was just so funny, so ironic!

I thought no one needed me, but this whole time, I was needed desperately by my own worst enemy!

I knew things wouldn't be the same between us after that day.

The chase had definitely ended, and something new had begun.

**END**


End file.
